NEED TO KNOW
- The Wentworths purchased a home in Beaver County, Penn., in September 2023
- According to a complaint, the couple discovered Nazi symbolism tiled into the basement floor after they moved in
- The couple is suing the seller for damages from having to replace the flooring
A couple who purchased a home in Pennsylvania nearly two years ago is suing the seller, alleging that they discovered a swastika tiled on the basement’s floor only after they moved in.
According to the complaint filed in court and obtained by PEOPLE on Wednesday, Aug. 27, Daniel and Lynn Rae Wentworth entered an agreement to purchase the Beaver County property from the seller in September 2023.
After the deal was closed, the Wenworths moved into their new home and found that “Nazi iconography, including a swastika and a German eagle, had been tiled into the floor” of their basement, the complaint said.
The Wentworths further alleged that rugs covered the basement floor during an inspection of the home before the closing, and that the rugs remained on the floor after the deal was made.
“Plaintiffs only discovered the Nazi symbolism several weeks after they had purchased the house and moved in,” the complaint stated.
Lynn Rae Wentworth told CBS affiliate KDKA that she and her husband spent months finding what they initially thought was their dream home.
At first, things appeared normal during the home inspections and walkthrough, and they purchased the home. But eventually, Wentworth said she went into the basement with her nephew to clean up some things the seller left behind, when they made the shocking discovery after removing a rug.
“I was like, ‘There’s something tiled into the floor here,’ and you take a step over here and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is a swastika,’ ” she told KDKA.
According to the complaint, the couple has now accused the seller of “knowingly and intentionally” hiding the Nazi symbolism in a manner considered fraudulent, and described the alleged conduct as “wholly outrageous, willful, wanton and reckless.” They alleged that the seller violated Pennsylvania’s real estate seller disclosure law, requiring sellers to disclose all defects known to them.
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PEOPLE contacted Daniel Stoner, the Wentworths’ attorney, and the seller’s attorney for comments on Wednesday.
Speaking with KDKA, Stoner said that the seller allegedly installed the iconography in the basement floor in the 1970s.
According to the seller, Stoner said, the swastika is an ancient symbol that could signify many things to different cultures, mostly positive. Stoner also said that the seller’s attorney claimed that the symbolism is not considered a defect and thus does not have to be disclosed.
Wentworth told the outlet that they were not able to make an informed decision on the purchase of the home.
“We were denied that opportunity simply because somebody couldn’t take five seconds to say, ‘Hey, take a look at the basement floor. There’s some symbols down there,’ ” she said.
The Wentworths argued that the tiles now need to be removed, and that the seller, who was named as the defendant in the suit, should be responsible for paying the $30,000 required to replace the flooring. In total, the couple is seeking an award for damages in an amount no greater than $50,000.
“It’s mine now, and I don’t want it, but it’s mine. I own it, which is horrific,” Wentworth told KDKA.
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